Thursday, September 24, 2015

At the Root of Sukkos Joy

Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

The Rambam writes at the
end of Hilchos Sukkah (8:12) that “even though there is a positive
commandment to be joyful on the holiday of Sukkos, there was a
heightened celebration in the Bais Hamikdosh to fulfill the posuk
of ‘Usemachtem lifnei Hashem…’”

He continues, “It is a mitzvah
to partake in the special joy, but not everyone who wanted to do so was able
to, nor were they ignorant. Only the great men of Yisroel, the heads of the yeshivos,
the Sanhedrin, chassidim, zekainim and anshei ma’aseh were
the ones who sang and danced and created simchah in the Bais
Hamikdosh during the days of Sukkos. The rest of the nation, the men
and the women, came to see and hear” (8:14).

Why, if there is a mitzvah
to be especially joyful on Sukkos, was it only the talmidei chachomim
who danced? Why did everyone else just watch the gedolim as they
demonstrated extreme exuberance? Why didn’t the hamon am also sing and
dance?

Let us analyze the special Yom
Tov of Sukkos and, through a new understanding of the chag,
perhaps understand the principles set forth by the Rambam.

The Tur (Orach Chaim 417)
states that each of the Yomim Tovim is celebrated in the merit of one of
our forefathers, the avos. Sukkos is keneged Yaakov Avinu,
as the posuk hints when it states, “Ulemikneihu asah sukkos.”
[Interestingly, the Vilna Goan (Aderes Eliyohu, Parshas Bolok 22, 23),
cites the posuk of “V’Yaakov nosa sukkosah” as an indication that
the Yom Tov of Sukkos is connected to Yaakov.]

Yaakov Avinu is tied to Torah
study. He is referred to as the “ish tam yosheiv ohalim,” for he dwelled
in the tent of Torah, and famously studied Torah for fourteen years in the yeshiva
of Shem v’Eiver. Since this chag is in his merit, it stands to reason
that the joy expressed on this Yom Tov is the joy of Torah.

The Vilna Gaon states (Even
Sheleimah 11:14-15) that everything that transpires during the month of Tishrei
hints to the World to Come. First there is the Day of Judgment, Rosh
Hashanah. Then all sins are forgiven on Yom Kippur. Finally, there
is the great joy of Sukkos and Shemini Atzeres/Simchas Torah. The
future will mirror this. First there will be the Day of Judgment and then the
realization of the pesukim, “Vezorakti aleichem mayim tehorim,”
and, “Ki eslach la’asher ashear.” Then there will be Sukkos, as
the posuk says, “Vesukkah tihiyeh letzeil yomam,” referring to
the time of simchah. This will be followed by Shemini Atzeres,
when the deniers of Hashem’s existence will disappear and Klal Yisroel
will celebrate, “Atzeres tihiyeh lochem.”

They will then partake in the
joyous meal of the Livyoson, brought about by the tremendous amount of
knowledge that will then flow into the world, as Moshe Rabbeinu, who is
referred to as Livyoson, reveals the secrets of the Torah.

Hakadosh Boruch Hu will bring joy to the tzaddikim by
being mechadeish for them chiddushei Torah, as the posuk
states, “Vayechezu es haElokim vayochlu vayishtu.” This is what is
referred to as the ohr haganuz, the hidden light, which will be revealed
to the tzaddikimle’osidlavo.

In fact, the sefer Maaseh Rav
(Sukkah 232) writes that the Vilna Gaon was very happy on Sukkos
and even more so on Shemini Atzeres, because according to Kabbolah,
there is a bigger mitzvah to be joyous at that time. The Tosafos
Maaseh Rav states that on the seven days of Sukkos, the korbanos
hachag are keneged the seventy nations, and Shemini Atzeres
is akin to the World to Come, when no strangers will interfere with our simchah,
just as no strangers have any relationship with the Torah.

From this we see that the joy of Sukkos
is akin to the joy of what will transpire at the End of Days. That joy, as we
see, will be caused by the revelation of the ohr haganuz and the wealth
of Torah that will be studied with the tzaddikim. The great men of the
Jewish nation, in turn, will share their newfound knowledge with the rest of Am
Yisroel.

Perhaps this is the reason that
the tzaddikim danced in the Bais Hamikdosh on Sukkos as
the rest of the nation watched. They knew that what was transpiring is a hint
to what will transpire after the redemption. They demonstrated that they
believed in the future of Am Yisroel, when the ohr haganuz will
be revealed to the tzaddikim, who will engage in the joyful study of
Torah with Hakadosh Boruch Hu Himself. The joy of the tzaddikim
was a precursor of the great joy that they will experience after the arrival of
Moshiach. The joy of the nation was in showing that they share that
belief in netzach Yisroel and eagerly await the day that the neviim foresaw:
“Ki oz ehpoch el kol ho’amim sofah berurah likroh kulom b’sheim Hashem,
l’ovdo shechem echod,” Tzefania (3, 9). “Vehaya kol hanosar m’kol
hagoyim haboim al Yerushalayim, v’alu midei shana b’shana lehishtachavos l’melech
Hashem Tzvakos velachog es chag haSukkos, (Zechariah 14, 16).” All the
nations of the world will join to bow to Hashem and celebrate Sukkos
with us.

That, additionally, is the reason
why on every day of Sukkos, fewer cows are offered as korbanos than
on the prior day. Since the korbanos are keneged the amim,
and since, le’osid lavo, the amim will admit to Hashem’s
Kingship, therefore when we bring fewer korbanos each day, we are
hinting to the period to which Shemini Atzeres alludes, when the beliefs
of the nations will be acknowledged as fictitious and the sheker in the
world will be diminished, as foretold by the neviim.

Returning to the relationship
between simchah and Sukkos, we have to examine the statement of Chazal
that someone who did not witness the Simchas Bais Hashoeivah never saw
real simchah. What is the tremendous joy evoked by the simchah of
drawing water for the korban of nisuch hamayim and what is the
connection of Sukkos to water?

We have already discussed that the
Yom Tov of Sukkos is keneged Yaakov, and that Yaakov’s middah
was Torah.

We all know that Torah is compared
to water, as evidenced in the posuk (Yeshayahu 55:1) which
advises, “Kol tzomei lechu lamayim - All those who are thirsty should
drink water.” The advice refers to Torah. Those who are thirsty for
knowledge are counseled to seek out the Torah.

Moshe Rabbeinu was the person
anointed by Hashem to bring us the Torah. His very name and essence were
derived from water, as the posuk states, “Vatikra shemo Moshe, ki min
hamayim mishisiyhu.” However, Moshe erred with water when he hit the rock
that delivered water to the Jews in the desert instead of speaking to it.

Perhaps Sukkos is a tikkun,
a rectification, of that mistake. Therefore, we draw water and pour it at the mizbei’ach,
seeking to trigger great celebration. The joy is brought about from the tikkun
of that cheit, rectifying the mistake Moshe made when he took his
stick and hit the rock, instead of speaking to it, as Hashem had commanded.

Interestingly, Moshe’s stick was
the stick of Yaakov. It was regarding this stick that the posuk quotes
Yaakov as he thanked Hashem for His kindness upon leaving the house of Lovon: “Ki
bemakli ovarti es hayardein, v’achshov hayisi lishnei machanos.” Yaakov
recalls how, upon going into exile as he fled his brother Eisov, he possessed
that stick, and with it he succeeded in crossing the Yardein River.

Thus, on Sukkos, when we
pray for water, we beseech Hashem to remember Yaakov, the same Yaakov in whose zechus
we celebrate the Yom Tov. In Tefillas Geshem, we state, “Zechor
to’an maklo v’avar Yardein mayim - Hashem, please remember the one who
took his stick and crossed the water of the Yardein River… Ba’avuro al timna
moyim - In his merit don’t hold back the water from us.”

We ask Hashem to look aside from
Moshe Rabbeinu’s error and pardon him for what he did. We say, “Look to Yaakov,
who acted properly with that same stick; successfully crossed the river, and
removed the stone that prevented the flocks from drinking from the be’er
mayim.”

Ein mayim ela Torah. Allegorically, water represents Torah. We
have seen that Sukkos signifies the World to Come after the geulah,
when the truths and essence of Torah will be revealed. We ask Hashem to look
past Moshe’s cheit and allow us to benefit from Torah, which is
epitomized by Yaakov, who is keneged Sukkos.

As I was thinking these thoughts
and wondering if there was any point to them, I came across an amazing chapter
from the Vilna Gaon’s talmid, Rav Yitzchok Eizik Chover, published in
the recently released Miluei Even on Even Sheleimah. This is what
he says:

“The main cause of the current golus
is the sin of misusing the gift of speech for lashon hora and sinas
chinom, which is brought about by bittul Torah. As Chazal say
(Eiruchin 15b) on the posuk in Mishlei (15:4), ‘Marpeh
lashon eitz chaim - The tree of life heals thelashon.’ What
should a person do to ensure that he doesn’t speak lashon hora? He
should toil in Torah.

“Therefore, this golus was
brought about because the Jews caused Moshe to sin with the stone and not speak
to it… The water in the stone is the sod of Torah, as indicated by the Zohar.
Because Moshe did not speak to the stone, forgetfulness of Torah was caused, as
I have explained elsewhere. The stone became blocked and it is difficult to
study Torah without great exertion.”

From here we see clearly the
connection between Moshe and water and golus, which we discussed. But
there is an even stronger connection.

Rav Dovid Tevel, prime student of
Rav Chaim of Volozhin and author of the classic seferNachlas Dovid,
writes the following in his drush sefer, Bais Dovid (chapter 10):
“I heard in the name of the Vilna Gaon…that mitzvas sukkah combats the yeitzer
of lashon hora.” After a detailed discussion, he concludes, “Thus, Sukkos
is keneged the final redemption, because at that time, the sin of lashon
hora will be rectified.”

This is proof to our discussion
that Sukkos is keneged Yaakov, who optimized Torah. Sukkos
hints to the period after Moshiach, when the joy of Torah will be shared
between Hakadosh Boruch Hu and the tzaddikim. The cheit of
Moshe will then be repaired and he will serve as the Livyoson, sharing
the sodos of Torah with the tzaddikim. The blockage that was
caused when he hit the rock will be cleared, because the Bnei Yisroel
will have returned to Torah, and through the merit of Torah they will be
redeemed.

This is the explanation of what
Rav Chaim of Volozhin writes in Nefesh Hachaim (4:31): “The main path to
teshuvah mei’ahavah is through proper Torah study, as first we say, ‘Hashiveinu
Ovinu leSorasecha,’ and then, ‘Vehachazireinu beseshuvah sheleimah
lefonecha.’”

Through our acts of teshuvah
throughout the period of the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, we arrive at Sukkos
returned to the Torah, for that is what we worked on during the 40-day period
beginning with Rosh Chodesh Elul. We are able to connect to the zechus
of Yaakov, which is Torah. Since we have fortified our connection with Torah,
on Sukkos we can combat the sin of lashon hora. Now that we have
the ability to beat back the sin of lashon hora, we can merit the geulah,
because the golus was caused by lashon hora, which we are now
empowered to rid from ourselves. Thus, we can begin to contemplate the World to
Come, when Moshiach will arrive and the tzaddikim will joyously
study Torah with Hashem.

So, on Sukkos, we draw the
water and bring the korbannisuch hamayim, because the blockage
to Torah, signified by water, will be repaired. We are all joyous. The tzaddikim,
who will benefit first from the ohr haganuz,are enraptured, for
on Sukkos they can taste that great day and already feel its joy. The amcha,
everyone else, stands, watching and listening, waiting for the tzaddikim
to share the new knowledge with them. The joy is akin to that which will be
brought to the world with the geulah, which will be bezechus haTorah,
hanimshol lemayim. Thus, we say, “Mi shelo ra’ah simchas Bais Hashoeivah
lo ra’ah simchah miyomov,” for the closest experience we have in this world
to that which will take place when Moshiach comes is at the Bais
Hamikdosh, when the water flows.